


DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (4/9)

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-01
Updated: 2002-02-01
Packaged: 2018-11-20 15:26:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived atThe Basement, which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onThe Basement's collection profile.





	DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (4/9)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (4/9)

## D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (4/9)

by Aries

Title: D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (4/9)  
Author: Aries  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website:   
Status: Complete  
Category: Unclassified  
Pairing (Primary): Mulder/Krycek  
Pairing(s) (Secondary):   
Crossover Fandom (if any):   
Crossover Info (if any):   
Other Pairing Info:   
Rating: NC-17  
Spoilers:   
Permission to Archive:   
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes:   
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: 

Summary: 

D.C. Rain II - Double or Nothing  
by Aries  
Part 4 

* * *

A blonde man limped back and forth across the floor of his Los Angeles apartment, phone to his ear. 

"...And you're sure he'll go? Yeah, yeah, I'll wait to hear from you...look, I'm flyin' all the way out there, ain't I? I ain't goin' all that way just to fuck it up. That bastard messed me up but good. I'm dyin' for a little payback....yeah. Yeah, okay. Yeah, we'll bring plenty of film. Right. Okay, later." 

He disconnected and dropped the phone down onto the windowsill he'd stopped in front of. Smiling, he watched the activity in the street below. 

" _So_...Alex...never knew your name, ya punk ass bitch." The smile grew wider. "This time it's my turn." 

* * *

Fox's eyes opened slowly, and he blinked several times, trying to focus. 

The room was just getting light, and he could make out the outline of the larger objects in the room. His eyes shifted to the clock, noting that it was just after six. He'd set the alarm for six-thirty, but since he was awake, he reached over and disabled the function. 

Turning his head, his regard fell to the figure beside him. 

Alex had surprised him...shocked him actually, by sleeping all night. And now, over twelve hours since he'd fallen into bed, he was still out. 

Fox smiled wearily then leaned in and brushed a soft kiss into his sleeping lover's hair. Then carefully, he pulled the cover back and slid out of bed. As much as he hated to remove himself from Alex's warmth, he did have to get ready to go. 

"Time is it?" 

The barely audible, husky voice reached Fox's ears just as he was pulling a suit from the closet. He turned to find Alex on his left side, watching him with half-closed eyes. 

"A little after six," he murmured, returning to the bed. He took a seat at the edge, reaching out to pet Alex's hair. The soft, dark spikes refused to lie down; they merely assumed a different position, and Fox smiled at the picture Alex presented. 

Alex's eyes left Fox's face for a moment, scanning the room. 

"In the morning?" 

"Mmm hmm. You've been asleep for a long time." 

"God," Alex croaked. "I never sleep that long." 

"Apparently you needed it." 

Alex sighed and executed a long stretch. As his body relaxed into an easy sprawl, a sudden thought seemed to come to him. "Did...did you make your reservations?" 

"Yeah. I gotta leave here no later than eight-thirty." 

Alex's heart sank. "Oh. Okay, uh...why don't you go get in the shower? First tell me what you want to pack, and I'll do it." 

"Already done. I did it last night before I came to bed." Fox studied Alex's expression for a while then leaned in to brush his lips across his lover's warm forehead. "Are you sure you're going to be all right?" 

"Yeah. I'm just...I guess I'm just a little disoriented. One minute we're discussing you going away on a case, and the next thing I know, I'm opening my eyes, and you're getting ready to leave." 

Fox sat up and lowered his gaze to the space between them. 

"You know, I really don't think I'm going to make it." 

Alex tilted his head in question. "Make what?" 

"A year. Not if I'm going to feel like this every time I have to go away." 

"It's just because this is the first trip. It'll get easier...for both of us." 

"Do you really believe that, or is it just wishful thinking?" 

Alex smiled, loving how well Fox had come to know him in such a relatively short time. 

"Maybe a little of both." 

Fox nodded then paused as if he was thinking about something. Before Alex could inquire about it, he reached out, pulling the nightstand drawer open. 

Withdrawing two condoms, he cast a devilish grin down at the younger man. Suspicion blended with instant desire, and Alex released a soft moan. "What d'you think you're gonna do with those?" 

"Well, I got a little time to kill before I have to go, and I thought, you know, since you're already on your back..." 

"Oh, you thought that, did you?" Alex asked even as he lifted his hips for Fox to remove his underwear. 

"Yeah, I thought that." 

Fox pulled the younger man's t-shirt off and ran both hands up and down his chest and abdomen. 

"You assume much, Agent Mulder," Alex groaned as Fox brushed his fingertips over the rapidly hardening nipples. 

"Tell me I'm wrong," Fox dared him, bending to flick his tongue over one constricted peak. 

"You're wrong." 

Fox lifted his head, sending Alex a challenging stare. 

Alex snickered softly. "You like that? Pretty convincing, wasn't I? Ah, shit!" A low moan followed the curse as Alex squirmed against the hand that had just delivered a not so gentle slap to the side of his upper thigh. 

"How 'bout that?" Fox taunted, watching his lover's hardening cock jump. "You like that?" One corner of his mouth slanted upward when he received only a soft whine as a response. 

Handing one condom to Alex, he rose to his feet and stripped off his underwear. Then, kneeling on the bed, he straddled the other man's waist. 

"Put it on me." 

Alex obeyed without hesitation, and when he completed his task, Fox handed him the lube. He applied a generous amount to the older man's cock, teasing the rigid shaft until Fox decided he'd had enough. 

Holding Alex's gaze, Fox shifted position, kneeling between his parted legs, and put the other condom on him. He then pulled the younger man toward him. He moved forward, lying on top of Alex, and lowered his head until their lips touched. 

"You're going to feel this until I come back home." 

Alex gasped at the simple statement, and his cock throbbed. 

Fox cocked his head slightly, his eyes glittering with definite intent. 

"You like that?" he whispered, watching his lover's eyes close and his lips part slightly. He lifted Alex's legs, encouraging the younger man to wrap them around his waist. With not much hesitation, he surged forward, burying himself in tight, clenching heat. 

Alex's neck arched, driving his head back into the pillows as he cried out with the joy of being so utterly possessed. His leg muscles tightened in an unconscious attempt to pull Fox even more deeply into him. His fingers dug into the older man's back, and sounds; broken, disjointed ramblings tumbled from his lips, pleading in their tone and urgency. 

He wanted what Fox had just promised. Christ, more than he wanted his next breath. If he could feel him...physically feel his presence, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He'd make it through the couple of days Fox was gone, and it'd be okay... 

"All right, baby," Fox soothed, realizing just how much of a frenzy he had worked his lover into, even if he didn't fully understand the reasons. "I got what you want." 

Harsh, abbreviated groans pushed past Alex's gritted teeth as Fox gathered his strength and drove into him again and again. The groans turned to a series of strangled whimpers with the added stimulation of his cock, and any reason Alex still possessed left him just then. 

Fox watched Alex intently, mesmerized by this exquisitely beautiful creature beneath him, wrapped in feral, mindless bliss...overjoyed by the knowledge that he alone could bring him to it. 

He continued his powerful thrusts, his hand matching then exceeding his pace, forcing increasingly desperate cries from his lover. The younger man bucked wildly then stiffened as orgasm approached, and Fox joined him, grating disjointed words of love and encouragement above Alex's choked sobs. 

Moments later, the two collapsed and lay spent and moaning softly in each other's arms. What seemed like an eternity later, Alex turned his face into the golden-brown hair brushing the side of his neck and kissed the back of Fox's head. 

"Yeah, I'll be feeling that for a while." 

Fox grinned lazily against his lover's shoulder then moved to disengage. 

"Good," he rumbled then lifted his head. His eyes shone a brilliant green-gold. 

" _Wait_." "For what?" 

"For me to get back. It's gonna be days before you're able to sit." 

"Not nice to tease," Alex purred, rubbing his leg against Fox's rear. 

"Who said I was teasing?" Fox countered. "By the time I get back here, we'll have spent two or three nights apart." He lowered his head and brushed his lover's lips with his own. "You'd better get a lot of rest, sweet baby, 'cause you're gonna be in for a rough ride." 

"I don't know if you're thinking that's a threat," Alex moaned, nipping lightly at the older man's lip. "But I can tell you that all it does to me is turn me on like you wouldn't believe. Jeez, even so soon after we just finished, parts of me are starting to tingle." 

"Can't get enough of me, huh?" Fox returned the gentle nip, grinning broadly. 

"I hope you really know how true that is." 

The grin faded into a tender smile, and Fox laid a soft kiss on his lover's lips. "I know." He sighed heavily. "I guess I should get up now." 

Alex fought the overwhelming urge to wrap his arms tightly around Fox and refuse to let him go. Instead, he glanced at the clock then back at his lover. 

"Yeah. If Scully has to wait for you, she won't be very happy." 

Hesitating a while longer, Fox finally picked himself up, moaning at the loss of Alex's heat, and he trudged slowly out of the room. 

"I don't wanna go!" he yelled as he passed into the hall then disappeared into the bathroom, turning the shower on. 

"I don't want you to go," Alex whispered after lying quietly for a while, staring up at the ceiling. A few minutes more in bed, and he rose to gather the clothes Fox had forgotten about earlier. 

An hour and dozens to kisses and hugs later, Fox was on his way. Left now to himself, Alex took a seat on the sofa, folding his hands in his lap, and looking around. 

So, here he was. Alone. For a few days. In Fox's apartment. 

Their apartment. Fox would have corrected him immediately. 

His wandering gaze fell on the aquarium, and he smiled at the angelfish hovering in the far corner. Rising from the sofa, he lifted the lid and sprinkled a few flakes of food into the water. He watched the fish dart back and forth a few times before finally swimming to the top to eat. 

//I knew he was just blowing smoke when he talked about flushing you.// 

"You lonely?" he asked the fish out loud as he tapped lightly at the glass. "Bet you are." He watched in silence for a while then spoke again. 

"It didn't really thrill you to eat the others, right? You did what you had to do to survive." He gave his only companion a sad smile. 

"I understand." 

* * *

"You asleep?" 

Hazel eyes shifted from the airplane window to the woman in the next seat. 

"With my eyes open?" 

"It's not unheard of." 

The eyes shifted back to the window. 

"Mulder, is your mind going to be focused on this case?" 

"Of course it is." 

"But until then you're going to walk around in this state?" "What state?" 

"You're like a...a zombie, for lack of a better word. Mulder, Krycek is a big boy. I'm sure he'll be fine for a few days." 

No response. 

"Mulder, are you listening?" 

"I heard you." 

"But?" 

Fox cast a blank stare on his partner. 

"Look...I know I agreed not to try and talk to you about Krycek or your life, but we're on a case now. I need to know that you're here, and not just physically." 

"Don't expect me to forget about him." 

"Not forget, Mulder, but at least put him to the side..." 

The statement earned her a sharp stare. 

"A little. You can't do your job properly if the only thing you can think of is what Krycek had for breakfast this morning, what Krycek is doing right now, where he's been, who he's been with..." "Who would he be with?" 

Scully shrugged. "I...I don't know. It was just a comment." 

"He wouldn't be with anybody." 

"Okay! You don't need to be so defensive, Mulder. I didn't mean anything by it." 

"The hell you didn't," Fox snapped as softly as his building anger would allow. "You're thinking that the minute my back is turned he's going to be off looking for a little action." 

"I didn't say that," Scully responded softly. "You did." 

"It's what you were implying," Fox grated, drawing the attention of the passengers around them. "But guess what, Scully?" He moved a little closer, growling softly into the woman's ear. "It's just me. I'm all he wants. I'm all he needs." 

"Yeah, okay, Mulder. You're all he wants, you're all he needs. Gotcha. Now, can we drop this?" 

"I didn't start it," Fox breathed, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. 

"Fine. I'm to blame. I'm sorry. Let's just drop it." 

Fox sat quietly, eyes closed, mouth set in a hard, angry line. He said nothing more for the rest of the flight, and when they landed twenty minutes later, he headed straight for the car rental booth with his partner scurrying behind him, trying to keep up with his long strides. 

Finding a line at the booth, Scully excused herself, feigning a trip to the ladies room. Once she was out of Fox's sight, she whipped her cell phone and a slip of paper out of her pocket. Reading the number, she quickly punched it in and waited for an answer. 

"Yeah?" 

"Are you there?" 

"Yeah, I'm here." 

"You find everything I left you?" 

"Yeah, I did. How'd you get this stuff?" 

"You don't need to know that. You remember which apartment?" 

"You wrote it down, for Christ's sake." 

"Just make sure you get the right one. And make doubly sure you get damn good pictures." 

"Yeah, yeah. Hey." "What?" 

"I know why I'm doing this. Why are you? What'd he do to you?" 

"It's got nothing to do with anything he did. Now, stop asking questions, unless you've got one directly pertaining to your assignment. Wait until the proper amount of elapsed time, do what you went there to do, remove the unit, and get the hell out of there. And for God's sake, make sure no one sees you." 

"Relax, honey, everything's cool." 

"It'd better be. I'll call you tomorrow to see how it went." 

"Okee doke. Uh, hey. Not too early, okay? Maybe I'll still be over there havin' fun with him." 

"Don't you dare stay there any longer than I told you to. It'll only be safe for about an hour. After that, you run the risk of getting caught or worse." 

The man heaved an exaggerated sigh. 

"Do you understand me?" 

"Yeah, yeah. An hour." 

"I'll call you tomorrow." 

"Right." 

Scully hung up and, tucking the phone back into her pocket, headed back toward the rental booth. Fox was just beginning to speak to the agent as she reached him, and she stood at his side, mind racing. 

//You're taking a huge chance; I hope you know that. What if he screws up? What if he doesn't follow your instructions exactly and Krycek dies or something? Not only would that defeat the whole purpose of this, but it'd send Mulder straight off into the deep end...// 

Fox broke off his conversation with the rental agent and turned a curious gaze on his partner. 

"What is it?" 

"Hmm?" 

"You just...you let out this groan." 

"Oh. Did...did I?" 

Fox nodded. 

"I had a cramp...in my leg. I'll just go walk it off." 

Fox watched the redhead limp away then turned his attention back to his business. 

//Great//, Scully cursed to herself. //Goddamn beautiful. Make him suspicious why don't you?// 

//Everything's fine. Just don't lose your cool.// 

//Easier said than done. Do you know the depth of the shit you'll be in if...//"Your leg better?" 

Scully emitted an abbreviated shriek and spun around, practically crashing into her partner as he came to stand behind her. "Um, yeah. Yeah, it is. Got the car?" 

"Yeah. Let's go." 

Exhaling a steadying breath, Scully bit back her concerns and trailed Fox out of the building, going off in search of their car. 

* * *

Alex walked into the living room, glass of apple juice in one hand, pair of scissors and next week's T.V. Guide in the other, and a baloney sandwich hanging out of his mouth. He set the items he held down on the coffee table then removed the sandwich from his mouth, taking a bite as he did. He set the sandwich down on top of the glass and lifted the plastic bag halfway out of the aquarium, cutting the top away. 

"You behave yourself, now," he warned the angelfish as he inverted the bag and dumped its contents into the tank. 

The fish darted frantically amongst the neon colored paraphernalia anchored in the blue rocks at the bottom, then he settled down and inched forward to investigate the new arrival. 

An almost identical fish, save for the slightly lighter coloring of its stripes, floated patiently while the other swam around it, checking things out. Seconds later, the two were gliding back and forth from one end of the tank to the other, looking for all the world like they'd been together forever. 

"You're happy now, aren't you?" Alex asked the fish, who was now playing hide and seek amongst the plastic plants with the other. He watched for a while longer then sat back with his sandwich and picked up the remote control. Just as he had turned on the television and was about to speed through the channels, the phone rang. 

Dropping the remote, Alex snatched up the phone and brought it to his ear. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey, handsome." 

Alex smiled and leaned back against the cushions. 

"Who's this?" 

"This is the guy who fucked you senseless this morning." 

"Ohhhh, yeah." "You remember now?" 

"Yeah," Alex purred into the phone. "I can still feel you. Just like you said I would." 

A low chuckle met his response. 

"Where are you?" 

"In a rental, on our way to the police station." 

"Wait a minute...Scully's with you?" 

"Yep." 

" _Fox_..." 

"Yeah, baby?" 

"Are you out of your mind?" 

"Why?" 

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, I'd say Scully was turning about fifteen different shades of purple about now." 

Fox glanced quickly in his partner's direction then turned his attention back to the road, grinning. 

"Mmmm, maybe twelve." 

"You're bad." 

"Wait till I get home. I'll show you bad." 

"Christ," Alex chuckled softly. "You can get me hard so unbelievably fast." "Yeah?" 

"Yeah." 

"Do me a favor. Save it for me, okay? I promise, I'll make it worth your while." 

"And now I gotta spend the next few days in agony...thinking about what it is you have in mind, right?" 

"Yeah, I guess you do." 

Soft groan. 

"Aww. Are you suffering, baby?" 

"Like you didn't know." 

Fox chuckled again. A deep, nasty sound that sent shivers of anticipation through his lover. 

"So," he said, changing the subject. "What're you doing?" 

"Unzipping my pants." 

"Aleeeeex." 

"What?" 

"Hands off." 

"I was just kidding...as uncomfortably tight as my jeans are right now, I'm behaving myself." 

"Okay. Good." 

"Good that I'm suffering?" 

"No, good that you're waiting for me." Fox's voice dropped two octaves, and he murmured into the phone, "I'm gonna make you scream..." 

"God, Fox, cut it out." "What, you don't like that idea?" 

"You know I do, but if you don't shut the hell up, I'm going to come in my pants right here, and I won't even have had to touch myself." 

Fox squirmed in his seat, imagining just that. "Ooooh, yeah?" 

" _Yes_. And number two, you must be pissing Scully off royally." 

"Ask me if I care." 

"You should, Fox. Please don't provoke her." 

Hard sigh. "Okay, okay...so what are really doing?" 

"Having some lunch....went to the pet store today." 

"What for?" 

"Got the angelfish a friend." 

"You mean you got him lunch." 

"Nooo, no. I got him another angelfish. You should see how happy he is now." 

Fox laughed into the phone. "Happy? You can tell he's happy?" 

" _Yeah_ ," Alex replied with a touch of indignance in his voice. "They're playing in the plants." 

"Alex...fish don't play." 

"They are too playing. They're happy together. I think it's love." 

" _I_ think you're cracked." 

The comment earned Fox a soft snort. 

"Okay babe, okay. But when that little cannibal eats his one true love, I will not refrain from saying, time and time again, I told you so." "And when he doesn't?" 

" _You_ get to say I told you so...but you won't. 'Cause the first time you forget to feed them, that other fish is gone." 

"Okay, we'll see." 

"Yeah, we will...look, babe, we're getting close to the police station, so I'd better go." 

The playful, combative tone left Alex's voice."...Okay. Call me later?" 

//Okay, that didn't sound too pathetic. Christ.// 

"'Course I will. Probably be sometime after seven, okay?" 

"'Kay." Not really expecting Fox to respond, he closed his eyes and whispered into the phone. 

"I love you." 

"I love you too, babe. Talk to you later." 

Fox disconnected and for the first time since starting his conversation with Alex, noticed that Scully's leg was bouncing up and down, and the fingers of her left hand were biting into the seat cushion. 

"Something to say?" 

"Nope." 

Fox snorted and turned his attention back to the road. 

//Okay, Mulder. Go ahead. Act smug. We'll see how smug you are when you see what little Alex has been up to while you were gone...// 

* * *

Darkness began to descend on the apartment, and Alex entered the living room from the bedroom, turning on one lamp. He walked over to the window behind Fox's desk, hand absently caressing the back of his lover's chair as he moved. 

Well, he'd made it through the day. Quite an accomplishment, though he knew that tonight would be a much bigger test. He hated the idea of sleeping alone, even if it was Fox's... _their_ bed he was in. All in all, though, he could be fairly proud of himself. No anxiety attacks, no expected, unexpected visits from Skinner. 

He allowed himself a small breath of relief. Guess he'd be okay after all. 

Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was almost seven. 

//He should be calling soon.// 

His heart leapt in anticipation of hearing his lover's voice, speaking to him in that low, sexy tone, telling him about his day, saying that he missed him... 

He'd take that to bed with him and wrap it around himself like a blanket as he prayed for sleep to take him quickly. 

Emitting a soft breath, Alex turned from the window and picked up the phone, carrying it with him to the sofa, where he dropped down and switched the t.v. on. Not five minutes into the news, he got up and headed toward the kitchen for a glass of water. Halfway there, he spun around and ran for the phone as it rang. 

"Hello?" 

"That fish disappear yet?" 

" _No_." 

Soft laugh. "How're you doing?" 

"Okay." 

"What're you up to?" 

"Just heading into the kitchen for a glass of water. I ordered Chinese for dinner, and now I'm thirsty as hell. How'd it go today?" 

"Pretty predictable. Scully and everybody else coming up with what they consider to be rational explanations for this thing." 

"Not so rational to you." 

"You should see the looks that my theory got." 

"You didn't expect anything different, did you?" 

"No, I'm used to it. Get's old after a while though, you know?" 

"I know. I'm sorry, vozliublennii." 

"I know a way to fix it." 

"You do?" 

"Yup. I could quit." 

Alex finished the water and set the glass down on the counter. "Fox..." 

I really don't think I'm going to make a year, Alex. I hate being away from you." 

"I don't like it none too much either, but please give it a little time. I don't want you to have any regrets." 

Fox sighed softly then went silent. "Fox?" "I'm here. My head knows that you're right, babe. It's the rest of me that's having problems with it." 

It was Alex's turn to be silent. 

"Okay," Fox piped up. "How about this? If I have to be anywhere for more than three days, you come out to find me." "Didn't we kind of have this conversation?" 

"Kind of. But I'm not suggesting that you come with me, I'm saying that you could meet me." 

"That wouldn't make Scully any happier than she would be if I'd gone with you." 

"I'm not interested in Scully's happiness. I'm interested in yours. And mine." 

Alex closed his eyes and sighed softly. "I love you, Fox. And your happiness is all I care about. If I'm around irritating Scully, she'll in turn make your life a living hell. And I can't have that. I won't." 

"And I won't have you putting your needs aside for the sake of peace between me and Scully. I can handle her and any shit she decides to throw at me. But I can't handle knowing that you're unhappy or uncomfortable, especially when I know there's something I can do about it. You're first, Alex." 

There was a brief silence, then the younger man spoke, his voice hoarse with emotion. 

"It's been so long since anyone's...I-I've only ever mattered to my parents." 

"You matter to me. You're all that matters to me." 

Alex's fingers tightened around the phone. "I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do if..." He caught himself in mid sentence and swallowed the rest of his words. Seconds later, Fox's voice drifted to his ear, soft and husky and completely spellbinding. 

"Alex." 

The younger man responded with silence. 

"You won't." 

Sable lashes swept downward, covering the glassy, green of Alex's eyes. 

"Baby?" 

"Yeah." Alex stopped to clear his throat. "I'm here." 

"Talk to me." 

"'Bout what?" 

"About all the stuff that's going on inside you right now." "Going on?" 

"Alex, I can feel you." 

God, it was as scary as it was wonderful. To have someone so in tune to his emotions that even hundreds of miles away, he could sense his need... 

"I...I miss you," Alex stammered. "I hate the thought of going to sleep without you. I feel s-so..." He swiped at his upper lip with the back of his hand. "I don't know. Anxious, I guess." 

"I'm coming home." 

" _No_. Fox, don't." 

"Alex..." 

"I'm not a baby," the younger man insisted. "I can deal with it by myself." 

"But you don't have to. I promised I'd take care of you, Alex, and that's what I intend to do." 

"You do," Alex answered, his tone lowering to an almost imperceptible level. "You take such good care of me..." He snorted softly. "More than half the time I'm sure I'm dreaming all of this. Please, Fox, stay there. Do your job. I promise you won't come home and find me naked in a corner, babbling incoherently." 

"Well now, wait a minute," Fox replied, the humor returning to his voice. "I think I'd kinda like the naked part." 

A hint of a smile came to Alex's lips. "Okay, well, I can arrange that." 

"Can you arrange for whipped cream and some leather harnesses too?" 

This time a short chuckle pushed past the curved lips. 

"Kinky bastard." 

"Does that mean I should take back the souvenirs I bought you? I guess they'll refund my money for the ball gag; it's still in the wrapping..." 

"Fox, you did not walk into some adult gift store and buy a ball gag." 

"I didn't? Oh. I guess I didn't buy the fur lined cuffs or the flavored lube either, then." 

Alex emitted a loud peal of laughter as he refilled his previously empty glass. 

"Oh, my God. Tell me Scully wasn't with you." 

"No, I dropped her off at her room then went back out. There's this place I saw just down the street as we were driving to the motel earlier. How do you feel about thong underwear?" 

"God. Why?" 

"Just asking. How about cock rings?" 

"Fox..." 

"Yes, Alex?" 

"Okay, if that was meant t' sound innocent, you fell way short." 

"Damn. Well, I tried." 

"Uh huh." 

"God, I can't wait to get home." 

"Yeah, you don' wanna see me, you jus' wanna play with all your new...toys." 

Alex drank down the second glass of water and shuffled into the living room, flopping down across the sofa. 

"First of all," Fox argued, "they're our new toys, and I wanna play with them with you." The playful tone faded. "Then, when we're both completely exhausted, I want to fall asleep with you wrapped in my arms." 

Alex moaned softly into the phone. "That's what 'm gonna miss most tonight." 

"Baby, you okay? You sound kind of funny." 

"Mm hmm. Yeah, I'm just...wow. Feel so tired all of a sudden." Alex squinted at his watch. "Jeez, it's not even eight." "Why don't you go to bed?" 

"If I go now, I'll be 'wake by two...if I sleep at all." 

"Wish I was there to keep you awake," Fox murmured, "but..." 

"Mmm. Beat as I feel right now, 'm not even sure you and all your new toys could keep me 'wake." 

"Damn," Fox chuckled softly. "You're fading fast, babe. Go to bed." 

"Starting t'feel like I could sleep all night," Alex sighed. 

"Go on. I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?" 

No answer. 

"Alex?" 

"Hmm?" 

"You're falling asleep. Hang up and get to bed." 

"Mmm hmm." 

"Love you." 

Fox smiled at his lover's muddled response and waited until he heard the click on the other end before disconnecting. He sat quietly, phone in his hand, wishing with all his heart that he was home, holding and stroking Alex while the younger man drifted off to sleep. 

Alex was right. All the time they'd spent together...all the companionship, the conversation, the mind-shattering sex... _this_ was what he missed the most. The feel of Alex's hair, so silky soft, brushing the underside of his chin. The comforting weight of the other man's body resting on his...long sinews, previously taut and straining, lazily flowing under his wandering hands... 

Fox closed his eyes and moaned softly. 

...The barely audible purr of contentment as his love descended into sleep... 

Jesus, who the hell would have known that he could become this addicted to someone, let alone Alex Krycek in such a short period of time? He was so in love with the man he couldn't see straight, and it was an unbelievably wonderful feeling. 

Which, unfortunately, translated into the incredible loneliness he was now suffering. 

"A year of this?" he asked himself, drawing a pillow to his chest and hugging it tightly. "I really don't see it." 

* * *

Emerald eyes fought to stay open as unexplainable exhaustion weighed down Alex's lids. Feeling much too heavy to move, he managed to force himself up off of the sofa and stumbled into the bedroom, where he shrugged out of his pants and shirt then dropped down onto the bed and reached for the t-shirt that Fox had worn the night before. Alex had not thrown it into the hamper, instead folding it neatly and leaving it at the foot of the bed, knowing that tonight he'd want to wear it. 

Inhaling deeply as he worked the shirt over his head and pulled it down over his chest, he tingled at the lingering scent of his lover. 

"Fox," he murmured sluggishly, letting himself fall back onto the mattress. "Want you home." He turned onto his side, pulling the older man's pillow to his chest and fell almost immediately into a heavy slumber. 

* * *

Ten o'clock. 

Well, if what's his name and....the other one...had followed instructions, everything should be set by now. 

Scully paced the length of her motel room, running the plan in her head. Tap into Mulder's water pipe. Attach device. Check on Krycek at around nine to see what was what. If he was as big a water drinker as Mulder was, he should have ingested plenty enough by then to put him out for several hours. Ironically, it was the incident he'd been involved in all those years ago that gave her the idea for this. Though she'd been courteous enough to figure a way to get around drugging the whole damn building. 

Anyway... 

If he was out, get in, get down to business, taking care, of course, to snap plenty of pictures for Mulder's viewing pleasure...remove device...God, she hoped the morons didn't forget to remove the damn thing...and get the hell out. 

Should be easy enough even if they were the boobs she'd pegged them for. 

She stopped in front of the only window in the room, staring out into the darkness. Suddenly a wave of unexpected panic washed over her. 

//God. Holy Christ, Dana, what the hell are you doing? What if they're caught? What if Krycek isn't too far gone, and he's able to fight them? He kill them, and you know it. Of course, probably not before he beats the truth out of them. They'll squeal like rats, and you'll go down like the fucking Titanic. You'll lose your job, you'll probably be arrested...and Mulder. Oh, dear God, Mulder. Is a piece of Krycek really worth hurting him this deeply?// 

//He won't be hurt if Krycek is smart. He won't want Mulder to see those pictures. He won't want to take the chance that Mulder will believe that he was drugged and set up. He'll be too frightened of losing him...// 

//You know what you're doing, don't you? You're admitting it. Krycek loves Mulder.// 

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. 

//No. Not necessarily. So he's scared to lose him. So fucking what? Mulder's nothing to him but a warm body and a hot meal.// 

//He had plenty of warm bodies. And those bodies gave him more than enough money to live on. He left it behind for one man.// 

"Doesn't matter," she whispered to herself. "Even if by some ridiculous stretch of the imagination he does love Mulder, he's beneath him. He's scum. He's trash, he's... 

She pressed her forehead to the streaked glass and released and deep moan. "He's goddamn gorgeous." 

//Jesus, there are plenty of gorgeous men around...*Mulder's* gorgeous, but you don't go moist at the thought of him.// 

//If you did, there'd be something seriously wrong with you. Mulder's like your brother for God's sake. Krycek is...oh, my God, he's...// 

He was sex personified. Every move, every sweep of those fucking beautiful eyelashes...every word that rumbled past those flawless lips screamed 'fuck me'. And so far Mulder had had all the pleasure. 

Well, him and a few hundred others. 

Soon it would be her turn. And she'd know what it was that put that look of utter satisfaction on Mulder's face when he walked into the office every morning. She'd know what it was that made him so anxious to get home every night... 

//Okay, so you'll know. And then what? How long do you suppose you'll be able to blackmail him before he decides he's had enough? And then what'll you do? Are you really prepared to make sure Mulder sees those pictures?// 

"Okay." Scully moved away from the window, giving herself a good shake. "Stop thinking so much. You think way too much. Just go with it. It'll work out okay." 

Fingers clenched in her hair, she fell across her bed and groaned up at the ceiling. "Ohhhh, God!" 

She rolled onto her side and curled into as small as ball as she could, mumbling softly to herself. 

"What are you doing, what are you doing, what the fuck are you..." 

* * *

"What the fuck are you doing?" 

"What d'you mean, what am I doing?" One of the pair on the fire escape asked. 

"It's pitch dark in there." 

"So, you're gonna shine a fuckin' flashlight in the window? What if he's awake, brainiac?" 

The irate man shoved the camera he carried at the other. 

" _This_ , he grated as softly as he could, "is what you use." 

His companion took the camera and lifted it to his face. 

"Man, this is way cool," he said, amazed at the wonders of modern technology. 

"Watch him for a minute and make sure." 

Silence descended on the metal platform as the man with the camera watched the figure on the bed. 

"He's out cold, man. He ain't movin'." 

"Okay," the other man murmured. "Okay, let's get down and get in there." 

The two men descended the fire escape and snuck around into the building, picking the lock to apartment forty-two. Shuffling quietly inside, they located the bedroom and carefully peered into the darkness. 

No movement. No sound. 

As they entered the room, the faint light from the window afforded them a tiny glimpse of their target. 

The limping man smirked down at the helpless figure and began to remove his shirt. 

"You an' me are gonna have a little fun, bitch," he whispered as he dropped the shirt at the foot of the bed and undid his pants. "Too bad you'll be too out of it to know it." 

His cohort positioned himself with the camera as he reached into his pocket, producing a condom and some lube, and when he had finished preparing himself, he nodded to the other. 

"Get some good shots, now." He turned on the light by the bed. "And don't forget to use both cameras." 

Climbing onto the bed, he straddled the unconscious man and froze. No reaction. 

Smiling, he went to work undressing Alex, then ran his hands over the newly exposed skin. 

"You are pretty. Too bad you had to be such a goddamn fucking prick." 

"In fairness, A.J., you did provoke the guy. He told you no kink, yet you tried to fuck him with that beer bottle..." 

"Fuck you, Howie. Who asked you? Just take the freakin' pictures." 

The other man began snapping as his irate companion not-so-gently manipulated his victim. Sucking at Alex's throat, he pulled and twisted one nipple, and when his friend had taken enough pictures, he pulled away, grinning. 

"Let's see you explain that little hickey to lover boy," he snickered then squeezed some lube onto his sheathed cock. Distributing the gel, he pulled the other man's legs up and wrestled them up and over his shoulders. 

"God, this is not easy when you got no help," he grunted, positioning his cock. "Howie, you gettin' this?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gettin' it." 

"Using both cameras?" 

"Yeah, both cameras...which also ain't so easy." 

Alex moaned softly, and the two stopped, holding their breath. 

A.J. wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Still out." He shifted a bit, gritted his teeth, and pushed roughly into the other man. "Ahhh, yeah. Pictures, Howie, pictures." 

"I am, I am..." 

* * *

Skinner paced the length of his living room, cursing himself over and over for the thoughts had been coursing through his mind ever since this afternoon. 

Mulder away. Krycek alone. 

Walt horny. 

"No," he whispered harshly. "No, it isn't worth all the trouble that would arise from it." 

His body argued that point most strenuously. 

And it kept screaming at him until he picked up his jacket and stalked out of his apartment. 

* * *

A.J. leaned forward, falling onto his hands and almost folding Alex in half, and then he began to thrust violently, grunting with the effort. 

"Hope you...feel this when you...wake...up," A.J. grated, pounding mercilessly into the former hooker. "Wish I could...ah, fuck...be here to see his face when he sees..." 

Howie stopped shooting for a second, startled by his companion's loud grunts of completion, but he recovered quickly and finished the roll just as A.J. pulled out and let Alex drop to the bed. 

"God, that was good." 

Howie shuddered. "Wasn't it just a little too much like fucking a stiff?" 

"Nah," A.J. rasped, pulling his rubber off and using the sheet to clean his cock. "He's warm." 

The other man shrugged then looked around. "Well, let's get out of here before he wakes up or something." 

"He's still dead to the world," A.J. argued, slapping Alex's cheek twice. "See?" 

"Still, we don't want to take any chances. "C'mon, let's go." 

A.J. rose from the bed and began walking around, poking at this and that. "In a minute. I just wanna nose around a little." 

"Look. If you're gonna fart around here, go ahead," Howie choked. "I'm goin' down to take that thing off of his tank." 

"Yeah," A.J. murmured, distracting himself with the items on top of the dresser. "Yeah, go ahead." 

Quickly, Howie made his way out of the room, leaving A.J. alone with the still unconscious man. 

Putting a bottle of cologne back in its place, he picked up the small, framed picture of Alex and a man who had to be his lover. Alex sat in front of the other man, back to the other's chest, his man's arms wrapped loosely around him. Two serene faces smiled out at A.J., and he snorted, putting the picture back. "Pretty," he said to the motionless figure. "Very pretty." 

He walked over to the closet and threw the door open. 

"Niiiiice," he murmured, checking out the suits that hung within. "Hmm. Armani," he read aloud, looking at the label on one of the jackets. 

Shutting the door, he limped over to the bed and smiled down at the naked form. "Got you a sugar daddy, huh? That's nice. Wonder how happy he's gonna be when he finds out he's not the only one bangin' you." He chuckled softly, picking up his clothes. "Sorry we don't have time for another round, sweetie pie, but I really gotta go now. Howie should be back soon, and he'll have a bird if I'm not ready to go." 

Dressing quickly, A.J. stopped to give Alex a hard slap to his thigh, then he left the room, whistling softly to himself. Making the decision to meet Howie downstairs, he opened the door, and before he could step into the hall, he came face to face with a man who was not his friend. 

"Who the hell are you?" a harsh baritone rumbled as sharp brown eyes seared A.J. with angry heat. 

"Uh..." The intruder's eyes flicked past the newcomer to his companion, who had just stepped off of the elevator and froze with shock. 

"A.J.? What's..." 

"What's going on, here?" The square man boomed, noticing the cameras and another large, filter type item in the other man's hand. 

"N-nothing, we're just..." A.J. shoved the larger man aside, taking him by surprise, and he and Howie fled. 

Quickly regaining his balance, Skinner bolted after the two, catching up to the handicapped man easily enough. He tackled the man, and they both went sprawling to the floor. Cursing loudly as the man with the cameras threw open the door at the end of the hall and scampered down the stairs, he flipped the other onto his back, and again began bellowing questions. "Who are you? What are you doing in that apartment?" 

"Just visiting, man," the other croaked. 

"Bullshit. I'm going to ask once more. And then I'm going to start hurting you." 

"No! No. Come on, you don't have to do that. I'll uh...I'll tell you." 

"Start talking. Fast." 

"I don't live here. I came from California to do a favor." 

Skinner tightened his hold on the man's shirt. "What kind of favor?" 

"The guy who lives here...he used to live in California. He was a hooker. Pissed off a lot of people while he was there. He gave me this limp. Anyway, he must have done something to the person who called me, too." He shrugged. "They wanted a little payback." 

"What did you do?" Skinner hissed, unable to process at that exact moment why he felt such rage bubble up inside of him. 

The man remained silent, not knowing whether or not to answer. 

Skinner lifted him a few inches off of the floor then slammed him back down. "That jar your memory?" 

"We...we fixed it so that his sugar daddy would boot him to the curb." 

"How?" the increasingly irate man spat through gritted teeth. 

"Gave...gave him a little sleeping potion then while my friend took some pictures, he and I had a little party..." 

"You drugged him?" 

The man's silence answered his question. 

"You had sex with an unconscious, defenseless man?" 

"He had it coming." 

"He deserved to be raped?" 

Bloodshot eyes mixed with fear and defiance stared up at Skinner, and he rose to his feet, dragging the man up with him. 

"Who brought you here?" 

"Woman. Small redhead." 

Skinner's eyes narrowed. // _What_?// He fell silent for a moment then let go of his captive. 

"Get the hell out of here," he gasped at the surprised man. "Go before I change my mind." 

A.J. backed up a few steps, moving slowly at first, then he turned and lurched away as quickly as he could, disappearing from Skinner's sight. 

Taking two deep breaths, Skinner headed toward Mulder's apartment and stepped inside, closing the door after him. He stopped and listened but heard nothing. Glancing around the spotless apartment, he moved cautiously into the bedroom and drifted over to the bed, where Alex lay, naked and still passed out cold. Even in the sparse light, he could see a bruise forming on the younger man's throat, and a small object on the bed beside him. 

Withdrawing a pocket-sized flashlight from his jacket, he switched it on and pointed it at the spot. He cursed softly and reached into the tissue box on the nightstand beside the bed, plucking away several squares and picking up the discarded condom. He retreated to the bathroom and flushed the rubber, then returned to the bedroom and looked down at the unconscious man. 

The reason he came faded into the background as anger overtook everything else. 

//Goddamn fucking little bastards. You should've held on to that one.// 

//Uh huh. Right. And what? Let Mulder find out that you were here? What reason would you give him for that? And what about Scully? That asshole sang for you, what makes you think he wouldn't tell his story to anyone else who threatened him? C'mon, Walt. It's Krycek or you and Scully.// 

//Christ, but he didn't ask for this. He's a victim. That asshole raped him.// 

//And what were you going to do? Challenge him to a game of Gin?// 

"God," he whispered, raising a hand to his forehead. "No. No, I couldn't. I...I wouldn'tve..." 

He looked down again at Krycek and began to shudder. 

So vulnerable. So damn quiet. 

Skinner pressed two fingers to the younger man's throat and breathed a sigh of relief as he found a steady pulse. 

The brief contact roused the sleeping man a bit, and he became a little restless, sighing and shifting position before settling down. 

//He's going to be coming around very soon. Do you really want to be here when he does?// 

Skinner reached for the crumpled sheet at the foot of the bed and pulled it up over the other man, then reached out, gently skimming the surface of his hair with one hand before quietly slipping out of the room. 

* * *

Fox groaned softly, groping around for his cell phone as it rang somewhere in the darkness. 

Christ, he'd only gone to sleep a short time ago, having tossed and turned for hours, and now this. 

Finally finding the damn phone, he pressed 'yes' and dragged it up to his ear. 

"Mulder." "Fox?" Quickly shaking himself awake, he sat up, eyebrows drawn down into a concerned frown. 

"Alex?" He looked at the clock. 

Three thirty? 

"Alex, what..." 

The confused voice cut him off. 

"Fox, where are you?" 

"What do you...I'm in my motel room, babe." 

Silence, then..."Oh." 

"Where'd you think I was?" 

"I don't know, I..." 

"Alex, what's wrong?" 

".......Nothing, I...I'm...I'm sorry. I guess I was dreaming..." "Dreaming? What about?" 

"I don't...nothing, I...thought you were...here..." 

Fox closed his eyes, feeling a stab of pain go through him. "I wish I was," he whispered into the phone. I'm sorry, baby. I...I'll be there tomorrow." 

"No. No, it's...I'm okay. It just...I'm all right." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm really sorry. Finish your work." 

"I can't, Alex. Not when you sound like you do." 

"Just a little disoriented 'cause I just woke up. I'm okay. Please, Fox. Stay there." 

Against his better judgement, Fox agreed. 

"All right. But I'm going to call you later, and if you don't sound any better, I'm coming home." 

"I'll be all right," Alex promised. "Go back to sleep. I'm sorry." 

"Don't be sorry," Fox commanded softly. "Just be all right." 

"...I love you." 

"Love you too, babe. Talk to you in a few hours." 

The soft click on the other end sent a shudder through Fox, and he put his phone down, staring into the darkness. 

//What the hell was that about?// 

"Christ." 

He could only speculate on the real reason for Alex calling him at this hour of the morning, and none of his guesses made him any more comfortable than the other. 

One word. One tiny little inflection in Alex's tone that he didn't like, and he would be on a plane back home tomorrow. 

He sat there for at least half an hour, staring at nothing at all before making the decision to get up and go for a run. 

Changing into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, Fox picked up his cell phone and keys, and left the room. 

* * *

"It was a dream," Alex told himself for the fifteenth time as he curled up against the headboard, trying to control the intermittent tremors that passed through him. 

He winced at the ache he felt and shook his head. 

It couldn't be. 

He didn't feel this way before he went to bed... 

Yes, there was a vague, pleasurable sensation...the one that Fox had left him with, but this wasn't that. It was prominent...painful. Like he'd been violently fucked very, very recently. 

And then there was the fact that he'd awakened naked. He'd gone to bed wearing a pair of underwear and Fox's t-shirt, and when he opened his eyes, he found them down at the foot of the bed. 

Yet, there was no one there. 

He'd risen on shaky legs and wobbled through the apartment, finding nothing. 

"Crazy," he whispered breathlessly, pulling a pillow to his chest. "You're losing it." 

But still, he couldn't shake that feeling... 

He slid out of bed again, stripping and changing the sheets, then made his way to the bathroom, where he turned the shower on to an extremely warm temperature and stepped inside, scrubbing himself almost raw. That done, he shut the water off and dried himself, moving over to the sink. 

As he finished up, he looked at the steamed mirror, staring a minute at the fine coating of moisture before wiping it away and looking at his reflection. He began to shake violently as a dark red blotch on his neck became visible. 

//That wasn't there. Fox didn't do that. Jesus...// 

Alex stumbled back to the bedroom, falling onto the mattress and, curling himself up as tightly as he could, he pulled the sheet up under his chin and stared wide-eyed into the darkness. 

"Fox, I didn't...I don't know what happened. I wouldn't...I didn't do anything, I...I didn't do anything..." 

* * *

"Christ, Mulder, you look like hell." 

"I feel the same way, so..." 

Scully raked a critical eye over her partner. "Didn't you sleep?" 

"Not much...you don't look too well rested either." 

Scully turned her gaze down to the floor. "No. No, maybe those were lousy mattresses or something, huh?" 

Fox made no attempt to answer. 

"So, are we going out to interview the people on the list the cheif gave us yesterday?" 

"...Yeah." Fox looked at his watch and walked through the motel lobby to the restaurant with Scully close behind. "You hungry?" he asked. "How about some breakfast?" 

"I suppose so, since we seem to be heading in that direction." 

The pair walked into the half full dining room and sat down at window booth. Scully picked up the menu while Fox stared outside and played with the napkin in front of him. 

"Aren't you going to look at the menu?" 

Glittering hazel eyes turned to the woman across the way then flicked down to the bill of fare in front of him. 

"No, I...I know what I want." 

The waitress appeared a few minutes later, poured two cups of coffee and smiled at the couple. 

"Hi. What can I get you?" 

"I'll uh...I'll have two eggs over medium, wheat toast, light, and hash browns." 

"All righty..." she looked expectantly at the man. "And for you, sir?" 

"English muffin's fine." 

"Is that all?" 

"Yeah. Thanks." 

The waitress offered another smile then disappeared while Fox looked back to the window. "An English muffin?" "You don't like English muffins?" 

"Mulder, we rarely have lunch when we're in the field. How far's an English muffin going to get you?" 

"I'm not that hungry." 

"Mulder, is...is something wrong?" 

"Nothing I care to discuss with you." 

"Okay. Well..." Scully fidgeted with her spoon. "Okay." 

Forty-five minutes later, they were on their way to their destination, riding the whole way in silence. Two hours after that, they were on their way back, having procured all the information they could from those they interviewed. It was now a little bit after noon, and Fox figured that he'd let enough time pass. As soon as he got back to the motel, he was going to call Alex and see how he was... 

"Mulder...Mulder, where are you going?" Scully asked as Fox passed the exit they should have taken to get to the police station. 

"Back to the motel." 

"But...aren't we going to the station to talk to Chief Warner?" 

"Later. I gotta go back to my room first." 

"Did you forget something?" 

No answer. 

Scully released a long sigh, knowing that no answer meant that it involved Krycek somehow. 

This morning, before she'd left her room, she'd tried to contact the men who were supposed to pay Krycek a visit last night, but was unable to...which didn't put her mind at ease at all. And then there was Mulder. Distracted and sullen, and she wondered if it was because he couldn't get hold of Krycek this morning, or he had, and... 

//And what? What?// 

Fox pulled up in front of his motel room door and shut the motor off. Without a word to his partner, he got out of the car and started toward his room. 

"Mulder!" 

The man spun around and sent Scully an impatient look. 

"How long before we leave again?" 

"I don't know," he answered flatly. "I'll let you know." 

Without another word or look, Fox disappeared into his room, slamming the door behind him. 

Once inside, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed home. 

Wide eyes peered over the blanket that Alex had pulled up to his nose, and he stared at the ringing phone. 

It was Fox; he knew it was. 

If he didn't pull himself together and make Fox believe that he was okay, he would be on the next plane home. 

And if he didn't answer it at all, Fox would be on the next plane home. 

//Either way, he's going to know. Answer it.// 

He reached down, and brought the phone to his ear with a trembling hand. 

"...Hello?" 

"Alex...babe, it's me." 

"Hey." 

"How're you doing?" 

"I'm okay." 

"Your voice is so soft." 

Alex cleared his throat and spoke a little louder. 

"S-sorry, I was sleeping." 

"You were? I'm sorry, I waited to call, hoping that you'd be awake." 

"I was earlier, but I guess I fell asleep again." 

There was a brief silence, then Fox spoke. 

"Alex, aside from being tired, tell me how you feel...the truth." 

"I'm better, Fox, really." Alex squeezed his eyes shut, hating himself for lying. 

//I'm sorry. Oh, God, I'm sorry, Fox...// 

"A little more sleep, and I'll be good as new." 

" _Really_?" 

"Yes...really. Uh...you get anywhere today?" Alex asked, trying to distract Fox from his state of being. 

"Did our interviews. We gotta go to the station and talk to the chief, then Scully can do her autopsy. And, I guess, we'll take it from there." 

"Uh huh." 

"Alex?" 

"Yeah?" 

"The second I wrap this up, I'll be on a plane back home..." 

"I know that." 

"Unless you need me sooner." 

"Fox..." 

"Say the word, and I'm there." 

"I'm all right. Please...please believe me." 

"...All right Alex, I believe you. I uh...I should get to the police station now. The sooner I get this wrapped up, the sooner I can come home to you." 

"That sounds good." 

"I'll call you later, okay?" 

"Okay." 

"Bye, babe." 

"Bye, Fox." 

Alex hung up and lowered the phone to the mattress as he took several shallow, stuttering breaths. 

Thank God Fox hung up when he did. Alex didn't know how much longer he'd have been able to keep it together if the other man had kept asking if he was okay. 

He closed his eyes, but his mind remained wide awake, struggling with the possibilities of the night before. No one scenario made any more sense than another, and his head began to pound as he tried to figure it out. 

//What difference does it make?// he asked himself. //You got fucked last night. That's the bottom line. Who did it and how doesn't matter. Yet again, you've managed to fuck it all up. And when Fox finds out, that'll be it. You'll be history.// 

"No," he whimpered, looking around at the place that had become his home. "I didn't know...I never would have let anybody..." he gasped, pulling his lover's pillow to his face. "Please believe me...you have to believe me." 

//Don't you tell him. He'll never believe it.// 

//He'll see my neck. He'll know. I have to tell him.// 

//Fine. But pack your bags before you do. That way, when he tells you to get the fuck out, you'll be ready.// 

"I don't want to go," Alex sobbed softly, clutching the pillow tightly. "Want to stay..." 

//Then do what you have to, to make sure that you do.// 

Swiping the tears from his face, Alex steadied himself as best he could, and he began to try and figure a way out of the mess he'd done nothing to get himself into. 

* * *

"Where the hell have you been? I've been trying to reach you since this morning!" 

A.J. rolled his eyes and emitted a heavy sigh. "Been busy." 

"Doing what?" 

"Finishing up." 

"It went okay last night?" 

"Yeah," A.J. lied, giving Scully a brief rundown of events but conveniently omitting his run in with the pissed off bald guy. 

"And the film and everything else is where I told you to leave it?" 

" _Yes_. Christ, woman, you think we're stupid or what?" 

//Don't answer that.// 

"You removed the device?" 

"Yes..." 

"You didn't leave anything behind?" 

"No..." 

"You didn't beat him or anything? You left while he was still out?" 

"No and yes..." 

"Okay. Good. Good. You're on your way back?" 

"In two hours." 

"Good. Thanks for your help." 

"No prob. Payback is sweet. Later, Red." 

"Goodbye." 

Scully hung up and breathed a hard sigh of relief. 

//See? No problems. Went smooth as silk.// 

She began to smile. 

//The rest'll be a cakewalk.// 

"Get ready, Krycek. As soon as we get back, your ass is mine." 

* * *

"Why didn't you tell her about that guy?" Howie asked his friend as they checked their room for anything they'd left behind. 

"Hey, whoever he is, he's her fucking problem. Besides, if I mentioned him, maybe she wouldn't use those pictures. She ain't fuckin' up my revenge." 

"What if she decides not to use em anyway?" 

"That's why I had you use two cameras, dope. She's got her pics, and I've got mine. I'll give her two weeks to do her thing, and just in case she doesn't, I'll be mailing my pictures to lover boy." 

"So then it really doesn't matter if she uses hers or not." 

"Well, no, not really." A.J. grinned. "It'll just be so much more fun to stick it to him twice." 

The two men broke into laughter as they continued to pack. 

  * two days later __*



Sable eyelashes lifted sluggishly, and dull, dark eyes looked around the dimmed room. 

Alex had never opened the blinds, so he couldn't really tell from the amount of light in the room whether it was broad daylight or not. 

He glanced at the clock and moaned, lifting himself into a sitting position. It was ten-twenty, and he had to get up today. Fox would be home at four, and he needed to get the place in order before he arrived. 

He'd spent the last three days in bed, sleeping round the clock and not eating much at all, and the joy that he should have felt at his lover's impending arrival simply was not there. 

All he could feel was fear and a sort of morbid resolution. Try as he did, he could come up with no plausible excuse for the now fading hickey on his neck, and there was no way in hell that Fox wouldn't look into his shadowed eyes and know that something was up. 

And he couldn't look into those beautiful, gilded eyes and lie. 

Alex buried his face in his hands. 

There was a time...once upon a distant age when he could look the Pope himself dead in the eye and lie his ass off, but not now. He loved Fox with his whole heart and soul, and though he'd managed to cover pretty well over the phone, he knew with all certainty that once he looked into his eyes, it'd be all over. 

He dragged himself out of bed and pulled the closet door open. With trembling hands, he dug his bag out of the back and placed it on the bed. He then gathered all of his belongings and began to pack them, stopping halfway through. He sank down next to the bag and lowered his head, clasping his hands together in an effort to stop their quaking. 

"I can't,' he gasped, his fingers turning white. "Can't, I..." 

//What choice have you got? You can't explain it...you can't lie...hell of a time to discover integrity, Alex, you know? So, that's it. That's all. Pack it up, kid.// "Alex?" 

The sable head snapped up, and Alex cast a petrified gaze at the doorway. Fox? Home already? Had he gotten the time wrong? He wasn't ready. Christ, he wasn't... 

The smile fell from Fox's face as he came through the bedroom door and found his lover, pale and red-eyed, sitting on a rumpled bed, next to his bag and a pile of clothes? 

He dropped his bags where he stood and rushed to the bed, falling to his knees in front of the frozen man. "Alex, what...baby, what's going on, here?" 

"You're early," Alex whispered, unable to get his voice to work properly or meet the older man's eye. "I didn't think..." 

"Alex," Fox interrupted, going from worried to terrified in nothing flat. "Alex, tell me what's going on. Why are your clothes and your bag out? Why do you look like you haven't slept since I left?" 

//And why the fuck over the course of three days, couldn't you tell that he was in trouble?// 

He'd kick himself in the ass later. Right now he had a big problem to deal with. 

"I'm sorry, Fox," Alex droned, his voice dropping back to that nearly inaudible level. "I don't know..." he shrugged, looking at the floor, "...what ha...happened..." 

"Baby, please," Fox begged, feeling a cold dread creep in and clamp around his heart. "Please tell me. It's all right..." 

"No. It isn't." 

"It is. It's all right. Tell me what's got you so upset. I'll take care of it." 

Alex laughed softly, and Fox began to tremble. 

"Yeah. You will." 

"Then tell me." 

"The other morning when I...I called you. Something happened." 

"Dammit, I knew it," Fox said more to himself than to the younger man. "What happened, Alex?" 

"I was tired..." 

"I know. I remember. I told you to go to bed." 

Alex nodded. "I did. And I fell asleep. Deep. Really deep. And when I woke up, I..." He stopped and dropped his head lower. 

"You what? Come on, Alex, you're doing fine." 

"Someone was here. I don't know who or when..." 

Fox squinted at the other man. "What? Wait, Alex, you're losing me. Someone came here but you don't know who?" 

"I was asleep," Alex repeated. "Fell asleep wearing underwear and the shirt you wore the night before. When I woke up, I was naked. And sore. Like someone'd been..." he shuddered. "I thought you'd come home. And maybe I fell asleep and just didn't remember, but you weren't there. That's why I called you..." 

Fox understood, and slow relief replaced the fear. 

"Alex, you were dreaming." 

"No. No, I wasn't, I...I went to sleep wearing clothes and woke up naked. I was sore." 

"Don't you remember that morning?" Fox asked gently. "Remember I told you that you were going to feel me until I got back?" 

"Yeah, but that was different. I felt much different when I woke up than when I went to sleep." 

"Everyone wakes up with more aches than when they went to bed. You're at rest, your muscles aren't in use, and they stiffen up. You know that. As for the clothes, if your dream was as vivid as that, you probably took them off yourself." 

Cloudy, green eyes rose to meet glassy hazel. Alex lifted his head a bit more and turned it to the left, giving Fox a glimpse of the partially faded bruise on his neck. 

"You didn't do this." 

Fox blinked, then moved forward and investigated the mark. He leaned back, drawing Alex's eyes to his again and smiled. 

"If you were able to undress yourself in your sleep, you were certainly able to bruise yourself. A mouth isn't the only thing that can leave a mark like that." Alex looked at Fox with an expression that spoke deeply to the torment he'd suffered over the last few days. Fox stared back, his own eyes willing his tortured love to believe him. 

"No one was here, Alex. It was just a dream." 

Such conviction. So much understanding and love in those exquisite eyes. Alex wanted to believe. He needed so much to. 

"....Are you sure?" 

"I'm sure. It's all right. Nothing happened." 

Alex's eyes darted randomly around the room as his overwrought mind tried to absorb what Fox had said to him. Finally, they came back to rest on the face he loved so dearly. His mouth opened, but no words would come. 

Fox rose from his knees and sat down on the bed, taking Alex into his arms. The younger man leaned into his embrace, clinging to him as though he'd surely drown if he didn't. 

"It was too soon," Fox whispered into his lover's hair. "I shouldn't have left you. I should have known." 

Alex squeezed his eyes shut and pressed closer, unable at the moment to argue. 

"No more," Fox promised. "If I have to go away, you come with me, or I don't go." He looked at the bag and clothes beside them. "Speaking of going...can you tell me why you've got this stuff out?" 

Alex slowly sat up but kept his eyes cast downward. 

"I didn't think it would turn out like this. I was...was sure you wouldn't believe me and..." 

"God. Alex...baby, look at me." 

Alex hesitated for long seconds then lifted his gaze to Fox's. 

"I'll never send you away." He caressed the younger man's heavily stubbled cheek and gave him a tender smile. "I fought too hard to get you here." He lifted the head that had again dropped. "You and me. Remember?" 

Alex nodded then again melted into his lover's arms. 

"I'm sorry, Fox. I'm so..." 

"It's all right. Please don't apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry. I never should have left you." 

"But you..." 

"No," Fox said simply, leaving no room for argument. "I screwed up. And look what happened." He tightened his arms around the younger man. "I won't screw up again." He rose to his feet, pulling Alex up with him. "Come on." 

"Where?" 

"We're gonna have a nice, warm shower. I love you baby, but I really gotta say, you could use one..." 

The affectionately stated insult brought a tiny smile to Alex's face. 

Fox took his lover's hand and led him into the bathroom, where he ran the water and undressed Alex then himself. The two stepped under the warm spray, and Fox gently washed the younger man, shampooed his hair, then quickly took care of himself before shutting the water off. He wrapped a huge towel around Alex, instructing him to stay put, then dried himself. When he finished, he rubbed the other man dry then led him back into the bedroom, where he sat him down in the room's only chair and pulled out some fresh sheets. He wrapped the top sheet around Alex, and then began to strip and re-make the bed. 

Alex watched from his crisp, eggshell cocoon as a very naked Fox removed his bag and clothing from the bed and then pulled the old sheets and pillowcases off. As quickly as he could, he replaced them with the fresh linens then walked over to the chair. 

"C'mon." 

Alex took the outstretched hand and let himself be put to bed, snuggling down into the pillows as Fox tucked the top sheet in around him. 

"Have you eaten?" Fox asked, stroking the damp hair away from the other man's face. 

Alex shrugged. 

"I'll take that as a no. I'm going to go get you something, and you're going to eat it." 

Twenty minutes after he left the room, he was back, carrying a bed tray containing a bowl of tomato soup, some saltine crackers, and a glass of ice water. 

"Here you go," Fox announced, setting the tray down over Alex's legs. "Eat up." Chewing on his lower lip, Alex looked down at the tray but made no move to eat. 

"What?" Fox asked. "You don't like tomato soup? You're the one who bought it..." 

"No. No, I..." Distressed green eyes stared up at the older man. "Not really the welcome home I had in mind." 

Fox smiled and sat down next to his sorrowful lover, picking up the spoon and dipping it into the soup. "Don't worry about it," he whispered, feeding Alex the first spoonful then allowing the younger man to take the utensil from him. When most of the food was gone, he took the tray away and slid under the sheet. Alex immediately gravitated toward him, and he wound his arms around the warm back. 

"I wish I could tell you how much I missed you," he murmured into his lover's hair before pressing a soft kiss into it. "Hey, how are the fish getting along?" 

"I don't know," Alex murmured. "Haven't fed them in...two days, I think. Damn. I should go..." 

Fox stopped him from getting out of bed. "No, I'll do it." He started to chuckle. "And now we'll see how much he really liked the new fish." 

Alex sighed softly as Fox rose from the bed and retreated to the living room. He closed his eyes and pulled the sheet up to his nose trembling at the loss of his lover's heat. Then his mind began to work. He thought back to a few nights prior, and he weighed what he'd been so sure about against Fox's rational explanation. 

//It could have happened the way he said. You know how vivid dreams can be. You could have pulled your own clothes off...injured yourself...it could have happened that way...// 

"I'll be damned." 

Alex pulled himself out of his thoughts and watched Fox walk back to the bed, shaking his head. 

"He's okay. They were swimming around together, happy as clams. They're eating now." 

Alex uttered a relieved sigh as he was pulled back into Fox's arms and mumbled into the older man's chest. 

"Told you." 

"Yeah, you told me." His hand slowly wandered up and down Alex's back, feeling the quivering of the younger man's muscles. "Feel any better?" 

"A little." 

"You'll feel much better after you've had some sleep." 

"What about you?" 

"What about me?" 

"It's only eleven-thirty in the morning. You don't need to be at work?" 

"Screw work," Fox rumbled, tightening his embrace. "I'm not going anywhere today." 

Right on cue, his cell phone rang, and a stream of soft curses tumbled from his lips as he reached for it. 

"Mulder." 

"Mulder, it's me." 

"I figured." 

"I just wanted to know what time you were coming in to the office." 

"I'm not." 

On her end, Scully held her breath. 

"Oh. Uh...everything okay?" 

"Yeah. Everything's fine. I'm just staying home for the rest of the day. I'll be in tomorrow morning." 

"All right then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. You sure everything's all right?" 

"Scully..." 

"Yeah?" 

"Let's not do this." 

"Do what?" 

"The phony concern bit. At the very least, you don't give a damn how things are. At the very most, you hope they're lousy. So. Goodbye, Scully, I'll see you in the morning." 

Before Scully could respond, she heard the click signaling her partner's disconnection, and she set the phone down slowly on the table by her sofa. She stared at it for a good long while, then picked it back up and hurled it at the wall. 

"Prick!" she screamed then immediately covered her face with one hand. She drew the hand down and anchored it in the lapels of her jacket. 

"Stop it," she whispered to herself. "What do you expect from him? That snake's got him so mesmerized he can't see his own hand in front of his face. It's not his fault..." 

//And even after that little speech, you can't help being pissed at him, can you? Why? Because he's got what you want, right? That's right. Look at yourself. You've become a jealous, spiteful bitch. And why? Because the desire for a roll in the hay with that bastard has overtaken all good sense. Think about what the hell it is you've done!// 

//Here we go again. Over thinking everything. Shut up. Just shut the fuck up and do what you want to do for once before you die.// 

Taking a fortifying breath, she lifted the pouch that she'd picked up on her way home, and she unzipped it, pulling out the item that would change everything. Gently, she tapped on the roll of film with one fingernail then pressed it to her lips. Closing her eyes, she muttered to herself some senseless mantra, then spun around and left the apartment. 

* * *

Alex awoke with a violent start, sitting up suddenly and scaring Fox into consciousness. 

"Alex..." 

Wild eyes darted around the room then came to rest on the man who had pulled himself up beside his frightened lover. 

"It's okay," Fox soothed, rubbing his hand over Alex's back. "You must have been dreaming." 

Alex scanned the room again and brought his eyes back to Fox. 

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I was," he gasped. "Wanna talk about it?" 

"Don't remember much." It just...it felt like someone was standing over me." 

"And it scared you that much?" 

Alex nodded. "I couldn't move. And they hadn't...they hadn't touched me, but I knew what they wanted...Fox?" 

The older man wrapped his arms around Alex and kissed his shoulder. 

"Yeah?" 

"It was..." Alex stopped, staring straight ahead. 

Fox waited him out silently, allowing the warmth of his body to provide the younger man's comfort. 

"...Are...are you sure? Do you really think that...that what you said is what happened to me?" 

A gentle hand at Alex's jaw turned his face to Fox's. 

"Yes, I really think that's what happened. It's the only logical explanation." He smiled. "Listen to me, I sound like Scully." 

No response from the preoccupied man to his right. 

"Alex..." 

"It was such a strong feeling," the younger man cut in, frowning. "But only after I woke up, which is so strange." 

"Don't you think that if it had really happened you would have awakened sooner? A lot sooner?" 

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but I can't...I can't shake this feeling." 

Fox stroked the other man's cheek, holding his attention with a glittering gaze. "Can I help?" 

Alex stared, hypnotized by his lover's eyes and his low, seductive tone. 

Fox inched closer, moving so slowly that only the brush of his mouth on Alex's convinced the younger man that he had moved at all. He felt the faint tremble of his lover's body and heard the involuntary moan, and his tongue slid delicately over the slightly parted lips, coaxing them to open to him. The instant they did, he was there, gently exploring the warm interior as he lowered Alex back to the mattress. 

Alex wrapped himself around Fox, wanting to feel him closer than he ever possibly could. His lover's absence combined with thinking for the last few days that he'd been touched yet again by someone other than Fox left him wide open to the kind of pain he thought he was finally through with. And again he needed all the comfort that only Fox could provide. 

Fox's mouth left Alex's, traveling at a leisurely pace down his chin and lingering at his throat, taking care to leave a mark directly over the one that was already beginning to break up and fade away. Of their own will, Alex's fingers clenched in Fox's hair, and he sobbed his lover's name, always amazed and forever grateful that Fox always knew precisely what to do to ease his troubled heart. 

His lashes fluttered madly then dropped over nearly black eyes as Fox left his throat and worked his way down to his chest, kissing and licking the satiny skin. His breath caught suddenly then left his lungs in a shallow pant when the older man reached his left nipple and pulled it into his mouth. 

"Fox..." 

The older man's tongue flicked quickly back and forth over the tip, and Alex arched, gasping his intense pleasure. 

Correctly determining the extent of his lover's pronounced sensitivity, Fox released the nipple and moved on. He skimmed the quaking muscles of the younger man's stomach, nipping at the heated flesh before soothing the small wounds with his tongue, then moved lower still. 

Alex whimpered uncontrollably as his lover's roughened cheek brushed the stony length of his cock, and he plunged one hand into Fox's hair in a weak attempt to pull the other man away. 

"Don't worry," Fox whispered, tenderly kissing the base. 

"But..." 

"Shhh." 

Alex shuddered as Fox continued to deposit soft kisses along the velvety shaft, and for those few moments, good sense abandoned him. 

Just once. God, please, just once he wanted to... 

The feel of Fox's tongue on him shook the insane thought from his head. 

" _No_." 

Somewhere he found the strength to push Fox away. Head turned to the side, he squeezed his eyes shut, panting heavily. 

"Can't...God, I'm s-sorry..." 

The next thing he knew, he was staring up into eyes as green as his own, splashed with gold. 

"It's all right," Fox murmured. "I'll be careful." 

"You can't be careful enough," Alex choked. "Do you know how much the thought of making you sick terrifies me?" 

"I know, baby," Fox crooned. "And I love you for worrying so much about me. But I wouldn't do anything stupid." 

Alex looked up at Fox, wanting to believe, to give in, but he couldn't. Not on this. 

"It's easy to say. And I know you mean it, but it's easier to get carried away and go too far. It almost happened to me just now. Please understand that I can't take that chance with you." 

Fox lowered his head and said nothing. 

"Fox?" Alex called, distress creasing his brow. "Fox, I...please don't...I love you so much; don't be mad at me. I need to keep you safe..." 

Fox lifted his head and stared into beautiful, tormented eyes of green. He shook his head as he stroked Alex's hair. 

"How could I be mad at you for wanting to protect me?" He kissed the younger man's forehead. "I had it under control, but if it makes you that uneasy, I won't do it again." 

"I'm sorry," Alex breathed, fighting to control the tremors that ran through him. "I hate that I'm putting you through this." 

"You're not putting me through anything," Fox told the distraught man in his most calming tone. "I love you, and my first concern is doing what's right for you." 

" _No_ ," Alex moaned. "Not what's right for me. For you. It's you who needs protecting." 

Fox laid his head on the younger man's chest. "It's going to be all right," he promised softly. "Everything's going to be fine, and someday, when we're old and gray, we'll laugh about this." 

Alex wound his arms around Fox and closed his eyes, trapping the moisture that shimmered there. 

"I want to get old with you." 

"We will." Fox lifted his head and smiled down at his lover. "By then you'll be dying to get rid of me." 

Alex shook his head. 

"Never." 

Fox came in for a chaste kiss then backed off and waited. 

Alex lifted a slightly shaky hand to the older man's head, gently petting the golden-brown hair. 

"Guess I kind of put a damper on things." 

Though it was spoken as a statement, there was a question in Alex's eyes. One Fox answered with a soft but unmistakably passionate kiss. 

Desire rekindled instantly, and the two soon found themselves completely lost in each other once again. 

Gentle kisses gave way to ravenous ones, and tentative touches turned demanding as the lovers writhed together, driving each other to that amazing level of insanity that one could never find without the other. 

Reaching for the condoms and lube, Fox cursed as the tube fell from his grip. He shifted, leaning over the edge of the bed to reach for it, and Alex began to squirm and whine impatiently. 

"Okay, okay," Fox whispered, grabbing the tube then lifting himself back up onto the bed. 

"Fox," Alex whimpered, his hands wandering frantically over the older man. 

"Please. I need you..." 

"I know, baby," Fox answered, ripping the first packet open. "Okay..." He emitted a pained laugh as he struggled to put the condom on the younger man. "C'mon, Alex, hold still." 

Alex groaned deep in his throat as Fox rolled the condom down over his cock, and both hands clutched at the twisted sheets as he searched for a way to divert his frustration. 

Fox quickly put his own condom on and slathered it with lube. He lowered himself to Alex's waiting arms, and the weight of him against his lover's aching cock nearly sent the younger man into orbit. He hastily lifted himself, not touching Alex at all until the younger man's panting subsided, then he came in for a lingering kiss. 

"You're so sensitive," he whispered, dragging his tongue over the other's lower lip. 

"I'm sorry," Alex offered shakily, caressing Fox's upper arms. "But it's been three days, and I...you make me crazy." 

"That's nothing to apologize for," Fox said, gently coming back down to lie on top of the other man. "That all right?" Alex nodded. "Just don't move yet, okay?" 

Fox smiled and nodded. "But you know, I've got a feeling that I could wait another half hour, and it wouldn't help." He gave his lover a mock pout. "And I was so looking forward to playing with our new toys." 

Alex let out a breathy laugh. "How about later? I just can't...I can't give you nearly enough time for that right now." 

The smile grew wider. "No kidding. That's okay." Fox's hands slid along the underside of his lover's thighs and lifted. "We've got the rest of the day and all night." 

Alex's eyes slipped closed, and a long gasp escaped past his lips as Fox pushed gently inside him. The hell of previous days faded from his mind, and all that remained was this. 

Perfect love. Sweet and pure and everything in world he'd always been convinced that he could never have. It lay here with him, warming and soothing him, giving him the most extraordinary pleasure. And when the pleasure peaked and melted away, still, it would remain as ever, radiant and strong and his alone... 

Fox moved slowly, enjoying the long glide into Alex's slick heat and the comforting shelter of his body as he lingered there before withdrawing. He repeated the action, forcing his eyes to open, and he focused a hazy gaze on his lover. 

The word beautiful did Alex no justice. Perfect lips, parted to allow labored breath to pass through his clenched teeth. Greenest eyes, hidden and revealed by a fluttering veil of sable lashes...long, hard body, lifting into his, pushing, demanding more...those soft, gasping sobs of joy as Fox filled his body and his heart... 

No, not beautiful. Exquisite was a far more fitting description, though it still failed to completely capture his true essence. How such a perfect jewel could exist for so long, unnoticed by so many blind eyes was truly a wonder to Fox. 

Lost in the hypnotic green of his lover's eyes, he shifted slightly and nudged Alex's prostate, reveling in the rapturous cries his action produced. 

"I know," Fox hummed, pulling back and again sliding home. 

Another sob, wilder than the first. 

"Come for me, baby," the older man pleaded, his words moaned softly into his lover's ear. 

Alex clutched at Fox's back, rocking frantically against him as Fox plunged steadily into his heat. The older man hadn't touched his cock, but the overwhelming sensations welling up inside him burst anyway, and he tipped his head back and released a bone-rattling, sobbing groan. 

Fox's ecstatic cries joined those of his lover as he found his own explosive release. He fell into Alex's arms, gasping for breath and unable to move for what seemed like an eternity, and then his strength began to return slowly. He carefully disengaged, peeled off his condom then Alex's, and settled again on top of his lover. He cast a hazy gaze down on the other, who still lay in a semi-conscious state, then nuzzled Alex's jaw, prompting a soft sigh. 

"I love you," he whispered, and the fringe of dark lashes fluttered then slowly lifted. Alex looked up at him in such utter worship that what was left of his insides melted into his stomach, and hot moisture pricked his eyes. 

Trembling fingers whispered over the older man's cheekbone then slid through the hair at the back of his head, massaging gently. 

"It's so incredible," Alex rasped. 

Fox blinked back his tears and gave the younger man a tiny smile. "What is?" 

"That you can do what you do to me...that one man can completely own me, and make me want so desperately to belong to him." Alex let out a soft sigh. "And it's incredible that in spite of everything, I can look into those beautiful eyes and believe it absolutely when you tell me you love me." 

"Always believe," Fox insisted softly. 

"I believe in you..." Alex countered, giving Fox a sweet smile. "...your magic." 

"What magic?" Fox asked, kissing the younger man's shoulder. 

"I haven't felt human in years...too many years. No one but you stood a snowball's chance in hell of bringing me back...not that anyone would have wanted to. You made me feel again, Fox. You showed me how to love. As far gone as I was, that's no mortal feat." 

"Oh." 

The word came out in a faint breath as Fox came in for a tender kiss. When he finally pulled away, it was only far enough to be able to look down into eyes brimming with profound love. Alex stroked his hair away from his face and gave him another beautiful smile. 

"My magic man." 

Fox rested his cheek in one hand and stared down at the younger man. "Magic, huh?" 

The smile faded from Alex's lips, and he nodded. 

"Sounds like I should be investigating myself," Fox murmured. "I don't think I'm anything mystical, Alex, though I do like that you see me that way." He shook his head and smiled softly down at his lover. "I'm just a man insanely in love." 

"With me," Alex answered. "That you could be is a miracle in itself." 

"No miracle. You're easy to love." 

"Only you would feel that way." 

"I know you tried to make it hard for me." Fox placed a brief kiss on the younger man's mouth. "But I could see right through it. I don't know how, but I saw what was truly in your heart." 

Alex nodded in agreement. "And you pulled off what no one else in the world could have." He pulled Fox down, brushing the older man's lips with his own. "Magic," he whispered before claiming a soul-deep kiss. 

Refusing to release his lover's mouth, Fox rolled them so that Alex was now the one on top. His hands wandered over the length and breadth of Alex's back, kneading and massaging the flexing muscles, and then they moved lower, skimming the rounded curves of his rear. 

"Baby," he murmured, breaking from his lover's mouth only long enough to speak. 

"Hmmmm." 

Fox broke the kiss again and focused a smoldering stare on the man above him. "Make love to me." 

Alex stared down at his lover for all of ten seconds before he came back down for a hungry kiss. With four simple words Fox had turned control over to him, and he accepted it readily, knowing that this was his time to give back. To mesmerize his love...dazzle him...make Fox need him to the point where he couldn't live without him... 

Fox's muffled moans vibrated throughout Alex's body as the younger man's tongue insistently searched the warm recesses of his mouth. He caressed and squeezed the muscles of his lover's ass, enjoying the way they tightened and relaxed beneath his hands, and Alex's steadily swelling cock, pressing into his thigh told him that the younger man was just as ready as he was for more. 

Alex pulled himself away from Fox's mouth and went for his throat, sucking at the vulnerable flesh before dragging his tongue over it in a soothing gesture. When he had the older man sufficiently squirming, he worked his way down, paying homage to his lover's chest. Not an inch of skin was ignored as Alex bathed Fox's upper body, and he took special care to give plenty of attention to the nipples that had gone rigid hours ago as Fox sat on the plane thinking about having Alex naked and in his arms... 

Fox sucked in a shuddering breath, and he arched against his lover's mouth, silently asking for more. 

Alex suckled the brown peak harder, and his tongue flicked rapidly over the tip, pulling a demanding moan from the older man. He released that nipple then teased the other, gently nipping and pulling at it with his teeth while he reached into the open nightstand drawer for more condoms. 

While tearing open the first packet, Alex traced a moist trail down his lover's quivering abs, lingering at his navel to tease the indentation. Then he placed the rubber over the tip of Fox's straining cock and began to roll it down the rest of the way with his mouth. 

"God," Fox gasped. "Oh, Jesus...Alex...baby, please..." 

Slowly, Alex moved downward, taking more and more of Fox's ample length down his throat, not stopping until his nose was buried in the crisp hair that surrounded the base. As Fox whimpered his pleasure, Alex began to lift his head, sucking gently as his tongue slithered over the latex-sheathed surface. Fox's head rolled from side to side on the pillow, and as one hand clenched tightly in the pillow beneath his head, the other curled around the sable strands of his lover's hair. 

"Oh, my...ah, shhhh..." He held tightly to the silk between his fingers and thrust upward, trying to sink back into the warmth that had enveloped him just seconds before. "Suck me, baby. Come on, please. Feels so..." 

Fox's mouth fell open and a deep, mewling sound pushed up from his throat as Alex sank back down, swallowing his entire length. 

"God, I love you," he panted. "Love you...love you so..." 

Fox's words died on a desperate cry as Alex released him and turned dark eyes up to his face. 

"Don't stop," the older man begged. Please, don't..." 

"But you won't last another two minutes if I don't," Alex argued softly, stroking his lover's thighs. "Will you?" 

Fox hesitated then shook his head. "But I...I have to come." He opened his eyes and gave Alex his most desperate look. "Please, Alex." 

"Soon," Alex whispered, leaning down and brushing his lips over his lover's cock. The shaft jumped as Fox whined softly, but Alex moved away, licking the sensitive flesh of his inner thigh. 

Fox hissed between gritted teeth, and he writhed uncontrollably at his lover's caress. 

"Easy," Alex murmured, planting his hands on Fox's hips to hold him still. He picked a spot and fastened his mouth to it, marking his lover as he had been marked. His grip on Fox's hips firmed as the older man began to thrash, and he maintained pressure, releasing his lover only when he was ready. 

Fox lay gasping softly as Alex bathed the wounded area, and emitted a surprised grunt when he was turned over and now lay face down on the mattress. Gentle hands moved over him, stroking and massaging, and he relaxed a bit. 

Alex listened to the faint moan, and he smiled. "Good?" 

The golden-brown head moved up and down in an affirmative nod, and matching eyelashes swept down over dilated eyes. 

"I could touch you forever. Such soft skin. Flawless," Alex mused, letting his hands glide again and again over Fox's back. "Strong," he croaked, skipping to the long, runner's legs. "Beautiful," he gasped, letting his hands now wander up over the perfect, taut ass. He bent and followed the path his hands had taken with his mouth, kissing and licking a wide path downward. 

Fox flinched every so often as Alex hit on a sensitive spot, moaning his pleasure. As the younger man moved lower, he became restless, anticipating his body's reaction when Alex reached his... 

The younger man's mouth grazed the curve of his ass, and his hips bucked once before Alex's hands again steadied them. 

"God...ohhhh, God..." 

Alex's mouth and hands worked in unison, worshipping the twin mounds of flesh. Fox quivered beneath him, the older man's fingers clutching the sheets and pulling them away from the mattress. 

He wanted to speak. Wanted to beg and plead for more, but his voice wouldn't work. And dammit, he knew he'd be asking for something he couldn't have. But Jesus, the thought of it... 

A purely feral groan arose from the older man's throat as Alex marked him again, and when it was done, he began to whimper frantically. 

Gently shushing his lover, Alex rose into a kneeling position and put his own condom on. After applying the lube, he leaned over Fox and delicately licked the back of his neck. 

"Let me in, baby," he grated against the soft skin. "Let me make love to you." 

Fox bent his knees slightly, raising his ass in offering to his lover, and Alex lay over him, gently guiding his cock in past the tight opening. To his eternal frustration, when Alex was finally buried as deeply as he could be, he simply relaxed, kissing the back of Fox's neck and shoulders. 

"Alex," Fox moaned breathily, pushing against the younger man. 

"Take it easy," Alex purred against Fox's cheek, withdrawing almost all the way, then performing a series of slow, shallow thrusts. 

Fox pressed his face into the pillows, sounding a low, sobbing hum, and only when Alex pushed all the way home in one firm thrust did he lift his head. His mouth fell open on a rapturous cry as his lover unerringly hit his prostate, and his cock throbbed terribly at the indirect stimulation. 

"My beautiful Fox." 

More teasing thrusts as Alex nipped at the side of Fox's neck then pressed his cheek to his lover's. 

"I love you so much..." 

Another hard thrust, and another loud cry. 

"Need you to know. Please know that it's true..." 

Fox knew. Though there was no way he could articulate that at the moment, he was as sure of Alex's love as he was of his own. 

Using the only reliable method of response currently at his disposal, he turned his head, his lips making contact with the younger man's. 

Alex accepted the kiss, immediately taking charge and feeding ravenously on Fox's mouth while his hips moved in flawless rhythm. He swallowed every moan, every sob, gauging each, and when he was sure that Fox had had more than enough, his own body screamed in agreement. He broke the kiss, incurring a torrent of whimpered protests, but the older man's objections faded into a succession of desperate pleas as he slipped his hand between Fox and the bed and grasped his tortured cock gently. 

"Yes, Alex...oh God, I need you. Don't tease...please, no more," Fox sobbed, finding his voice as he began to buck against his lover. 

"No more," Alex repeated, reassuring the desperate man just before beginning to milk Fox in time to his increasingly more powerful thrusts. 

Fox's loud, frantic cries flooded the room, immediately followed by those of the younger man. He collapsed to the bed, gasping for breath as Alex fell, sprawling bonelessly over his spent body. They lay that way for longer than either would be able to remember, then Alex stirred. 

Having already slipped out of his lover, he peeled the condom off of his spent cock and dropped it into the small waste paper basket that they'd taken to leaving beside the bed. Fox began to move then, moaning softly and wiggling onto his back. Alex removed his condom as well and discarded it, then sank into his arms, purring softly as Fox lovingly stroked his back. 

"Jesus, you know how to drain me dry," Fox whispered, kissing the top of Alex's head. "Still can't feel parts of me." 

In answer, Alex hugged him tightly, rubbing his head against the underside of the stubble-roughened chin. 

Fox tilted his head, resting his cheek in the glossy, sable hair and closed his eyes. 

"Alex?" 

"Hmm?" 

"'M so tired now..." 

Alex shifted onto his back, pulling Fox into his arms. He tenderly stroked the golden-brown hair brushing the underside of his chin with one hand while the other caressed Fox's back. 

"Sleep," he commanded softly. 

The older man sighed, nestling comfortably against his chest. "How you feel?" he asked, already on his way to slumber. 

"I'm okay," Alex assured his weary lover, kissing his head. "You made sense of everything, and I'm fine." 

Fox uttered a satisfied moan and drifted quietly into sleep. 

Alex lay listening to the silence that was broken only every so often by a soft sigh or the rustle of sheets as Fox shifted. His hand continuously moved in a rhythmic sweep up and down the older man's back, and he stared unblinking up at the ceiling 

"It all makes sense," he whispered almost inaudibly. "Everything's fine." 

* * *

The petite redhead walked into the office and stood in front of the desk, blue eyes boring into the back of the man's head. 

"Good afternoon, sir." 

Skinner spun around from his spot at the window, genuinely surprised to see Scully standing there. 

"Agent Scully." He looked to the door then back at the woman. "Where's Mulder?" 

"He stayed at home, sir, after dropping off his things. He'll be in tomorrow." 

"...Is he not well?" 

//I'll say.// 

"He's all right, he...he just said he'd see me tomorrow. I'm not exactly sure what his reasons were for staying home." 

There was a brief stretch of silence before Skinner responded. 

"But you have some idea." 

No answer. 

"It's got something to do with Krycek, you think." 

"I..." Scully shrugged, glancing down at the floor before returning her gaze to the A.D. "...I really don't know. Could be. I know Mulder was far from happy about leaving Krycek to go to North Carolina." 

"I don't understand that. Krycek's a big boy. When did he suddenly become unable to look after himself?" 

Scully shook her head, an angry light coming into her eyes. "It's Mulder, sir. He's built this whole big fantasy around Krycek." 

"Fantasy?" Skinner prodded, hoping for some clue. An understanding of Scully's recent actions. "Yes, sir. He's made Krycek out to be this poor, misunderstood, used and abused baby, who prostitutes himself not because he's a filthy low life, but because circumstances forced him into it." 

The man's eyes narrowed on his agent. 

"You said he prostitutes. Are you saying that you think he still..." 

"I'm not saying anything definitely," Scully interrupted. "I just wouldn't put anything past him." 

Skinner nodded then changed the subject. "Are you going to get started on the report?" 

"I suppose so. There's nothing else to do until Mulder gets in tomorrow." 

"I won't keep you then." 

Scully nodded and exited the office, leaving Skinner staring after her. 

"And, Agent Scully, I suppose I'd better not put anything past you, either." 

* * *

Six-thirty. 

Scully walked into her apartment, tossing her keys and purse down onto the dining table. 

Carrying the large manilla folder with her, she rounded the table and walked into the kitchen, where she flipped a switch and turned on the lights under the cabinets. Moving the coffee maker out of the way, she opened up the folder and pulled out almost two dozen pictures, spreading them out along the counter top. She studied the photos, some good quality, some grainy. A few didn't come out at all, and she cursed the morons she'd asked to do the job for her. 

Oh, well. No matter. She had enough pictures here to sufficiently do the damage she needed them to do. 

She picked up a good, clear shot and a cold sweat broke out over her upper lip. 

//Are you really prepared to show these to him? You know how devastated Mulder'll be when he sees some strange man fucking Krycek in his apartment? In his bed?// 

//Don't worry about that. Don't even think it. Just look at that body. Think about what you want. There's no way in hell Krycek will want Mulder to see these, and he'll do anything you tell him.// 

Talking herself into a more positive state of mind, she gathered the pictures and put them away, then went to find herself some dinner. 

* * *

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